Modular vacuum insulated piping

Abstract

A modular, aerogel-based vacuum insulated pipe section comprising an outer conduit; an inner conduit concentrically disposed within the outer conduit with aerogel insulation and a condensable gas being disposed in the insulation space between the concentric conduits. As a stand-alone pipe section, the insulation space is at a pressure within the range of from about 100 microns Hg to about 1000 microns Hg. However, in operation, when a cryogenic fluid is traversing the inner conduit, the condensable gas condenses and the pressure within the insulation space is further reduced to range of from about 1 microns Hg to about 5 microns Hg. The vacuum insulated pipe section further includes a coupling arrangement disposed on a first end of the inner conduit and a second end of the inner conduit, the coupling arrangement configured to engage or mate with a corresponding end of another modular vacuum insulated pipe section.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A modular vacuum insulated pipe section comprising:
 an outer conduit; 
 an inner conduit configured to contain a cryogenic fluid, the inner conduit concentrically disposed within the outer conduit and defining an insulation space between an outer surface of the inner conduit and an inner surface of the outer conduit; 
 an aerogel insulation material and a condensable gas disposed in the insulation space prior to field installation, wherein the insulation filled insulation space is at a pressure within the range of from about 100 microns Hg to about 1000 microns Hg prior to field installation, and wherein the condensable gas is configured to condense at temperatures below about 190 Kelvin; 
 a sealing arrangement comprising a first seal member disposed proximate a first end of the outer conduit and configured to seal the insulation space from the external atmosphere proximate the first end, and a second seal member disposed proximate a second end of the outer conduit and configured to seal the insulation space from the external atmosphere proximate the second end; and; 
 one or more valves disposed on the outer surface of the outer conduit, the one or more valves configured to be in fluid communication with the insulation space, the one or more valves configured to facilitate pressurization and depressurization of the insulation space during fabrication of the pipe section and to facilitate introduction of the condensable gas into the insulation space during fabrication of the pipe section; 
 wherein the pipe section is configured to be coupled to a second modular vacuum insulated pipe section during installation of a piping run in the field. 
 
     
     
       2. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe section is configured to be coupled to the second modular vacuum insulated pipe section via a bayonette joint coupling arrangement, and the first end of the pipe section further includes a male section of the bayonette joint coupling arrangement having a projecting section and the second end of the pipe section further includes a female section of the bayonette joint having a receiving section. 
     
     
       3. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 1 , wherein the insulation material is in the form of an aerogel blanket. 
     
     
       4. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 3 , wherein the aerogel blanket comprises aerogel combined with fibrous batting. 
     
     
       5. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 1  wherein the condensable gas is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
       6. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 1 , further comprising a radiation shield disposed within the insulation space. 
     
     
       7. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 1 , further comprising a resin impregnated fiber support disposed between the outer surface of the inner conduit and the inner surface of the outer conduit. 
     
     
       8. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the pipe section is less than or equal to 100 feet. 
     
     
       9. The modular vacuum insulated pipe section of  claim 1 , wherein the outer conduit and the inner conduit comprise a double-walled conduit and the insulation space is a space between an inner wall and an outer wall of the double-walled conduit.